CHILD DEVELOPMENT
2 TO 3 YEARS
Although a two year old is not a baby anymore, he’s not a child yet either. This in-between stage can be frustrating for parents. That is why it is popularly called the Terrible Two. He no longer is willing to accept your control over his actions, but he is still deeply dependent on you for love and approval. Emotions are difficult for toddlers to control: they can have highs and lows within a very short time. The best way deal with your two to three year old is to allow him to venture out when appropriate, but provide consistent guidelines for acceptable behavior. Soon this stage will pass, and they will actually understand the difference between good and bad, or right and wrong.
Your toddlers arms and legs have become strong and agile. She can run, jump, climb and ride a tricycle. The more she plays actively, the more she will develop healthy habits for a balanced life. At this stage, your toddler is learning how to socialize well with other children. This creates new opportunities for cooperative play.
By the third year, your toddler is able to hold a spoon or a pencil, and can cut paper with round-tipped scissors. He is becoming more able to dress himself and gets good practice with fine motor skills using buttons, buckles, zippers and Velcro straps.
Your toddler loves to tell you what she sees, hears and knows! Your conversations will be picked up and copied by her very quickly. Sentences of four words or more are spoken now and she can say her first and last name. She can express her needs and wants more clearly to parents and people around her.
Toddlers are beginning to have a much better memory of past events. They can also express language more accurately, and this adds to their enjoyment of role-playing. They like play sets with themes of specific activities such as, farms, construction, kitchen and food preparation, dollhouses, etc. Pretend play helps to develop speech, logical thinking and decision-making skills.
+Appropriate Toys for 2 to 3 Year Olds
Fine and Gross Motor Skill Development:
- Rocking horse and tricycle to improve strength in large muscle groups, and develop balance and spatial perception.
- Lacing beads to enhance manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination
Intellectual Stimulation:
- Geometric sorting board to teach shapes and categorization by stacking geometric pieces in the correct positions
- Pretend play toys such as the Circus Set, Activity Bus, or Kitchen Set
